On a practical level both branches have made a good start to the year, organising training sessions, Pleasure and Competitive rides and Ulster Branch has also raised the magnificent sum of £2050 in aid of Air Ambulance NI.
The date of Saturday 7th September 2019 has been set for the ILDRA National Championships at St.Patrick's Coast Ride, from the venue of Downpatrick Racecourse. A full schedule of competitive and pleasure rides will shortly be available, all entries must be pre-booked accompanied by a valid flu vaccination certificate.
For many competitive riders, the high point of the season will be the Home International / Celtic Challenge Championships, this year being held in Wales at the Red Dragon ride (4th - 6th Oct). The teams need practical and logistical support in this endeavour - financial support comes from the levies which each branch contributes and it is appropriate to point out that 2018 levies are now overdue from one of the branches. Applications are invited for the post of chef d’equipe (or general dogsbody, as the previous incumbents might call it!) and all expressions of interest are welcomed.
There are a number of interesting developments on the international endurance scene - following the fiasco at WEG last year and in response to widespread dissatisfaction with the general ethos underlying endurance competitions in some parts of the world, the FEI appointed a temporary endurance committee, which has made a number of far reaching recommendations with regard to international competition. These will be sent out to the National Federations for comment before they can be adopted and implemented.
Meanwhile on the home front, the directors were disappointed that Horse Sport Ireland did not accede to the overwhelming democratic mandate of the ILDRA members (to appoint an ILDRA committee to initiate talks with regard to the future of endurance in Ireland) but instead insisted that the two branches and Endurance Ireland enter into mediation. The proposals put forward by the mediator do not, in the opinion of the directors, provide a realistic solution to the present situation, in that they are impractical, unduly expensive and undemocratic and the directors cannot recommend that they be implemented in their current form. Members who wish to read the specific proposals may obtain copies from their local branch committee.
This may have far reaching consequences for the future organisation of endurance riding in Ireland and members will be kept appraised of developments.
